Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Mid-Week Message - Trusting God's Ways

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LordAnd my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)

I'm sure we can all remember asking one of our parents for something when we were children.  I don't know how it was in your family, but the automatic answer in my house never seemed to be "yes." Usually the answer was, "We'll see", or "I'll think about it," or maybe even "Go ask your father."  Whatever the answer was I felt the need to explain all my reasons for why I needed whatever it was I was asking for.  Of course, I was attempting to convince my parents that they needed to agree with me and decide in my favor.  Sometimes I was successful but quite often the final answer was "no."  

It was very difficult to understand how they could answer negatively when I was so clear in laying out my thoughts and desires.  What I didn't understand at the time was that they knew more than I did and therefore knew if my requests were frivolous or could pose hazards or risks.  Now that I am an adult and also a parent, I am aware that there were probably many times they wished to give me what I wanted but couldn't for some reason that was beyond their control.  Age has given me greater understanding and perspective.  

That being said, I have to confess that I often approach God in prayer the same way I used to approach my parents with a request.  It is something that He has shown me that I am not very proud of.  I have had to learn that it isn't my job to convince the Lord of anything.  Since He is all-knowing, He sees my needs and desires before I do along with everything else in my life.  He knows what is ultimately good for me and what is not and He has perfect timing for the blessings He sends my way.

This past year was dreadfully hard for my family.  So many things collided that caused us to wonder how we would make it through.  I spent hours before the Lord crying out, asking Him for help, reminding Him of His promises and telling Him what we were going through and what we were feeling.  So many times I forgot about His sovereignty as I begged Him to just listen to our needs.  I failed to recognize that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  I let my heart dictate my words and overpower the knowledge that His timing is always perfect and that He would never fail to take care of His children.  In His great love though, He soothed my soul and assured me that He knew.

One night, after a particularly rough time and as I was drying my eyes after telling Him how afraid I was and asking Him if he was watching and knew what we were going through, I turned the radio on to a Christian station.  I came in right as a song was coming on.  It was "Fear Is A Liar" by Zach Williams.  Then the song right after it was "He Knows" by Jeremy Camp.  I cannot tell you how it ministered to me to know that those songs at that time were not a coincidence.  They were reassurance from above.  Now that we have started a new year, I can tell you that I never needed to be afraid or worry that the Father didn't understand our plight as He has now answered those petitions and turned things around for our family.  Just at the right time.  

Brothers and sisters, our Creator is never negligent.  He is intimately involved in our lives and aware of every joy and heartache we experience.  Though this last year was trying, it would have been much less so if I had remembered that rather than listening to the lies of the enemy and allowing myself to be overcome with fear.  He has always seen me through whatever I have faced and I should have known He would do so again.  His love never falters and He will always be present no matter what we are experiencing.  We have only to trust that His Word is true and look for Him.  

As I thank Him for His extended hand to me and my family, I also lift each of you up and ask for His blessings for you as well.  Life is full of unknowns, so let's hold on to the One who never changes, who always understands and will never leave us to do battle on our own.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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